Tombstone epitaph., 1887-08-27
Progress in Mining.

It should be gratifying to all having the prosperity of the mining industry sincere, ly at heart to kn NV that business meth cd, are now prevailing in that line of dev' lopment, and that systematic efforts have akrn the place of haphaz ,rd and speculation, which prevailed until recent ly. Being m its very nature, in its in- cipient stages, an uncertain and experi- mental industry it requires to go through certain stages of growth to reach firm business basis, prior to which its status is neces ,arily unsettled.
 Not many years ago the value of a mine was purely conjectural aud the stock market was more active field of operations than the locality of rhe mine. Stocks rose and fell on the slighe pre- text, or withoui any pretext at all, an their market Value was entirely indepen- dent of the output, progress of develop ment, quality of ore, value of machinery anu SouiSliilISS oi tuC IAStShIC Oi tHC mine. Most eXtrava9ant management prevailed. Costly machines, ill adapted to their designed object, were so poorly and inefficiently operated that the dumps of ore left by them as tailings have been worked over with the improved machin- cry of later days with more profit than io heir first treatment. Reckless waste and inordinate haste to extract the cream of the ore in the shortest possible time was the prevalent rule among miners in the earlier stages ofthe mining industry in the West. With the decadence of stock speculation this waste of ores and the general extravagance in working mines has also departed, giving place to eco. homie methodical operations. The craze for forming stock companies and the idea once so prevalent that the first and most important step in developing prospect was to get it listed at the stock boards is rapidly passing away. Many of the best paying mines in the west to day are un- sung among brokers and spectators. Under careful and judicious manage ment they are paying their owners pro. fit which aggregates more than others widely known as dividend payers.
 Cl arer conceptions Of tte real objects in purch+s'ng and operating mines pre- val now lhaa ever before. The idea that profits are to be made by cutting down expenses in every department and increasing productiveness instead of selling watered stock is the true solution of the difficulties which have heret .fore stood in the way of the recognition of mining as legitimate, stahle, progressive industry. Heretofore it's uncer, ainty and the lack of means for reducing it to a basis for carcful investment have driven capital into other fields where these ob. jections tid no: exist, but which offered less profitable returns. T,e continu l ance of this new departure in mining will soon establish it's position as a stable and 'af fed nve ,tment in which not on
 y s'l he pr ii, be greater than in Nh,r n, ,lt the security ample and fixed,
 A ma ed and radical as have been
 Ii 'npr vem:nts in appicances for ra s'n5, crushing and reducing ores there is sui am ple room for improvement, and il is not improbable that the next few years will witness valuable discoveries Notwitb standing the progress already made, human knowledge is increas ng, and while electricity is being harnessed and human labor is being abridged in other fields of science it will be strange 'fprocesses now so tedious and costly in extracting minerals from other sub stances are not simplfed and cheapened beyond the most extravagant predic- tons.